Cloud backup for Mac
How C2 Backup works seamlessly with your Mac
C2 Backup provides a backup solution that does what others don’t by integrating seamlessly with your Mac. In this article, we’ll explain why integration is important and reveal a bit of our development process.
Choosing a backup solution for Mac
The fact that we have to maintain regular backups of our data is a given. After all, all it takes is one sudden disaster and your data is gone forever. Backing up is essential not only to actually keep your data safe, but also to give you peace of mind and a sense of security.
On the same thought, you have to make sure that all of the devices important to you, whether they be for work or personal use, are covered. Not only that, but to get the most out of a solution, you also have to make sure that whatever you’re using works in sync with the operating system itself. We’re talking integration and cohesion that will save you a lot of time and storage space in the long run.
The downside of most solutions
Built-in backup solutions on your Mac are designed to make your backups easy and accessible. But with a number of weak points in terms of flexibility and backup completeness, they may not always be the best option.
One of the downsides of built-in solutions for macOS is that they do not track file changes as precisely as you might think. For example, Apple’s own software, Time Machine, only recognizes changes to the file size and edit time. If modifications are made to files without affecting the file size or edit time, those files will not be included in the next backup.
On the other hand, most 3rd party applications use file-based backup, which means all files are copied and tracked onto the software. While this may seem appealing in terms of backup completeness, 3rd party apps generally lack integration with macOS, which can lead to a more arduous and time-consuming backup process.
It may seem like there aren’t any options that provide a perfect solution, but don’t lose hope yet! C2 Backup has it all, and more.
A solution that goes beyond the cloud
All you want is a backup solution that integrates perfectly with your macOS, without sacrificing time or backup integrity. With Synology’s cloud backup solution, C2 Backup, you don’t have to sacrifice a single thing. Not only are even the smallest changes to your data updated without needing a full backup, but integration with macOS allows C2 Backup to save you precious time and storage space.
Finally, a cloud backup solution that goes above and beyond, satisfying al of your backup needs while ensuring flawless integration with macOS.
Designing an integrated Mac solution
Now you may be wondering, how can a backup solution be so perfect? Well, it’s all in the design.
C2 Backup utilizes Mac’s built-in tool (ASR) to create a solution that ticks all the boxes. To show you how it works, we’ll reveal some of the secret ingredients in our development process.
Limitations on a Mac
When C2 Backup performs a backup, Apple Software Restore (ASR) data is first processed through a Block Driver before going through the C2 Backup Kernel Extension. To achieve optimum speed and performance, read/write operations between these spaces should ideally gouninterrupted.
By Apple’s design, in ASR, reads must be performed on a certain amount of data before the backup data can be written. Thus, read operations are heavily involved in the backup process and responses can be obtained from any of the following three locations in this order:
- Return from the Kernel Space (Response time: 10 μs)
- Return from the User Space (Response time: 100 ms)
- Return from the C2 Server (Response time: 10 s)
This means that if a read operation doesn’t get any hits from either the Kernel or User Spaces, then the request will go directly to the C2 server, which will result in a longer overall response time and delay of the backup process.
Optimizing C2 Backup for macOS
To process read requests as quickly as possible, we implemented read-before-write technology with C2 Backup to check the value of a data block before modifying it. To do this, we used bitmap indexing for the Kernel Space. A bitmap index is an array of binary data that is used to record whether or not a space has already been written to.
The bitmap index helps the system easily find out which blocks already have data on them and which don’t. The system can then quickly reply with the “empty” data blocks, helping the backup process go more smoothly and cutting down on the time it takes to finish.
In conclusion, we were able to overcome Apple’s limits through rigorous trial and error during development, allowing us to create a backup solution for macOS that exceeds expectations and surpasses rival programs, including Mac’s very own built-in services.
Protect your Mac with C2 Backup
Now that we’ve exposed some of the secrets to our technical development, we’re ready to help you safeguard your macOS devices with C2 Backup, the solution that’s got it all.
Secure your macOS data and devices while keeping your backup management as convenient as possible. Visit us today to learn how to try 30 days for free.
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Written in collaboration with Arden Lim.
